The Case of a Black Male Mathematics Teacher Teaching in a Unique Urban Context: Implications for Recruiting Black Male Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

In an effort to diversify the nation’s teaching force, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated programs to increase teachers of color in U.S. schools, particularly Black male teachers in subject areas like mathematics. In that Black male mathematics teachers continue to be under researched, particularly in urban school contexts, it was critical that their cases were (1) documented and analyzed in an effort to better understand their experiences and practices, and (2) utilized to inform teacher recruitment efforts. In this chapter, we present the case of Floyd Lee, a Black male mathematics teacher who participated in an NSF-funded research study of Black Algebra 1 teachers teaching in an urban school district. We present experiences that appear to influence his practice and consider how his case, and other cases like Floyd’s, might inform efforts to increase the number of Black male mathematics teachers in U.S. schools.

Citation

Davis, J., Jones Frank, T. and Clark, L.M. (2013), "The Case of a Black Male Mathematics Teacher Teaching in a Unique Urban Context: Implications for Recruiting Black Male Mathematics Teachers", Lewis, C.W. and Toldson, I.A. (Ed.) Black Male Teachers (Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education, Vol. 1), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-2317(2013)0000001010